What kind of health problems can you get from freon leaking from air conditioners?

Answer 1

A/C Technician, no problems at all if its in a house A/C System but if you have a leak in a area that is confined freon will displace the oxygen you are breathing and you will pass out and die. I read an incident one time that an A/C Tech used freon to fill up an air mattress that was used in a tent and plug popped on mattress during the night and killed him and his young son.

Answer 2

Exposure to Freon may cause eye and skin irritation or sensitization. High concentrations of Freon cause severe depression of the central nervous system, weakness, dizziness, convulsions, and cardiac arrhythmia, irregular heart beat, ACGIH 1986. In one study of pathology residents in a Boston hospital, all residents in their second and third years experienced palpitations that appeared to be associated with the addition of the surgical pathology rotation to their schedules. On this rotation, the only procedure that could have possibly caused palpitations was the preparation of frozen sections in which a Freon-22-based aerosol was used to decrease work time. Freon exposures of 300 ppm were measured over a 2-min period for workers engaged in tissue preparation. Four residents experienced palpitations severe enough to prompt electrocardiograms (Speizer et al. 1975). A number of deaths (7 in 1967, 31 in 1968, and 27 in 1969) have been reported among persons "sniffing" Freons intentionally (Reinhardt et al. 1971).

Answer 3

I'm not sure if it was freon or not, but it sounds like the substance that if leaked from cars will kill animals who lick it for it's sweet taste. It actually does contain sugar. Anyway if you eat it you might not feel so great but I doubt the fumes are harmful unless very strong.